Method and System for Providing Services to Vacation Homeowners

ABSTRACT

A method and system for providing services to vacation homeowners facilitates the cost-effective administration of a variety of services required by vacation homeowners in a fashion that frees the homeowner from undue expense, time, or effort. In one embodiment the method includes: setting up a real estate property on a system via capturing by a computer processor a complete image inventory of the property; creating a unique CRM record along with detailed information on the property; provisioning a new user account formatted into an online, user-accessible, self-care portal; conducting predetermined inspections of the property; assigning each property a unique identifier to ensure high quality case management of the property; tracking the inspections using the identifier; providing automatic alerts to the property owner at the initiation of specific workflow steps; providing alerts and updates; and measuring ongoing customer satisfaction by prompting for specific feedback.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation-in-Part application of and claims thebenefit of priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/592,703filed on Aug. 23, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,442,887, which claimspriority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/526,378filed on Aug. 23, 2011, the entire disclosures of which are consideredto be part of the disclosure of the accompanying application and arehereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method and system for providingservices to vacation homeowners, and more particularly to a method andsystem that facilitates the cost-effective administration of a varietyof services required by vacation homeowners in a fashion that frees thehomeowner from undue expense, time or effort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Those of skill in the art will recognize that the following descriptionis merely illustrative of the principles of the disclosure, which may beapplied in various ways to provide many different alternativeembodiments. This description is made for illustrating the generalprinciples of the teachings of this disclosure invention and is notmeant to limit the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure andtogether with the general description of the disclosure given above andthe detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explainthe principles of the disclosures.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.In certain instances, details that are not necessary for anunderstanding of the disclosure or that render other details difficultto perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course,that the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the particularembodiments illustrated herein.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary user interface according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an overall system architecture according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary user interface according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary customer relationship management (“CRM”)database example according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the overall architecture of a systemand method for providing services to vacation homeowners.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for a CRM database.

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a user interface for the vacationhomeowner service system.

FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of a vacation homeowner system runningon a smart phone or other hand-held computing device.

FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of a smart phone or hand-held deviceuser interface for a vacation homeowner service system.

FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of a tablet, e-reader, or Ultrabook™device user interface for a vacation homeowner service system.

FIG. 11 illustrates a second embodiment of a smart phone or hand-helddevice user interface for a vacation homeowner service system.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention emerged from frustrations over the lack of qualityservices available for remote owners of vacation homes. While there havebeen plenty of “property managers” focused on short term rentals as wellas the odd “handyman” who would emerge to do some quick work and thendisappear—leaving nothing but a vague (and often expensive) bill behind,the present state of affairs in the industry reveals an absence of aservice provider that demonstrates a significant interest in addressingthe overall, specific needs of the remote homeowner. Thus, one aspect ofthe present invention is directed to offering the scale andprofessionalism to apply a comprehensive, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)approach to luxury homes in a manner that is totally aligned with thoseof the customers served. Various embodiments of the present inventionare directed to providing personalized, high-quality oversight of luxuryhomes so that the owners can truly enjoy their time in the home. Acomplete range of services catering to the needs of the remote luxuryhomeowner is provided, with the focus being on the homeowner's uniqueneeds, rather than on the needs or conveniences of maintenancecontractors, service providers or potential tenants. Such exceptional,premium service is provided both in person and/or online.

The range of options and services comprise:

-   -   Complete Maintenance and Repair Programs. Regardless of        location—whether the owner is in Scottsdale, Ariz.,        Breckenridge, Colo., or Fort Myers, Fla., one objective of the        present invention is to administer and be cognizant of seasonal        demands with the finest attention to detail in a fashion such        that the owner is provided with the ability to source and manage        relationships with a range of the leading service providers in        desired areas in order to provide the best value and obtain        optimal results for the owner.    -   Concierge Services to provide customized services to put the        “vacation” back into vacation home ownership.    -   Flexible and Comprehensive Billing that offers a single point of        contact in managing the billing and account reconciliation for        all of the service providers in a manner that saves homeowners a        huge amount of time, but takes advantage of the leverage        afforded by a central agency that consolidates accounts to        permit substantial savings.    -   Reports, Documentation, and Oversight are provided so that the        homeowner receives detailed regular reporting on the status of        their home and comprehensive information on any issues which        need to be addressed. This eliminates undesired surprises or        large expenses without representation on the homeowner's behalf        and an accurate assessment of the repairs and services required.

In certain embodiments, an inspection checklist is provided that isassessed and confirmed at predetermined intervals, preferably viainternet communications. Such services and checklist items may include:flushed all toilets; ran water in all sinks; checked under all sinks forleaks; checked and, if needed, ran dishwasher; turned vales off forwashing machines; checked all doors and windows; ensured all trash cansare empty; returned trash cans to house; set thermostat temperature;walked around house and advised any upkeep or maintenance; pets presentand healthy; inspected refrigerator and freezer; put water heater intovacation setting; picked up newspapers; and adjust temperatureappropriately.

The amount of time and money spent to annually manage and maintainvacation home is shown to be far more than one might appreciate. Repairsand basic maintenance alone can cost between 1% to 3% of the value of ahome each year—and that doesn't account for special home features,services, and inefficiencies due to the homeowner not being presentlocally and able to dedicate the time to stay on top of matters. Withrespect to utilities, there are significant issues relating to whether ahomeowner is getting the best value with those utility providers. Thetime and effort expended by homeowners on areas outside of theirexpertise is significant, and even those somewhat sophisticated incertain matters, find that they personally spend substantial time andresources on finding service providers, obtaining quotes, authorizingthe work, waiting for repair personnel, and then, ultimately, paying thebills. These are often the “hidden costs” of vacation home ownershipthat not only affect the true cost of ownership but detract from theentire experience of enjoying a luxury vacation property.

Certain U.S. patents and patent publications are incorporated herein bythis reference to provide additional support with respect to writtendescription and enablement requirements, including the following:2008/0262879 to Furlong; U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,745 to Kaufmann;2006/0129438 to Robinson; U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,193 to Beringertiamer etal.; 2007/0143154 to Ashby; 2006/0282275 to Pineda et al.; 2010/0217686to Craig et al.; 2011/0167007 to Saitta; 2011/0184782 to Delany et al.;2011/0161343 to Schimpf et al.; 2011/0145805 to Taylor et al.; and U.S.Pat. No. 7,395,552 to Taylor et al.

One aspect of the present invention is directed to understanding ahomeowner's particular situation utilizing, for example, a “CostModeling Tool” so as to get a basic understanding of the costs and timeinvolved in managing a property; trained, local personnel representingthe homeowner's interests; 24 hour×7 day×365 days/year back-end support;and full access to personalized information via web and mobile.

Oversight & Reporting

Through regularly-scheduled home visits, the present invention provideshighly-qualified staff who stay on top of the condition of a homeowner'sproperty. Prompt intervention occurs when necessary to protect thehomeowner's interests and detailed reports are generated to keep thehomeowner informed.

Complete Maintenance Programs

From pools to patios, landscaping to painting, heating/air-con tocleaning services, the present invention in various embodiments isadapted to setup and manage all of the maintenance needs of thehomeowner's home. Preferably, the administering agent or agency worksfor the homeowner directly and the homeowner is not just directed todeal separately with contractors—with the agency thus making sure costsare competitive and quality levels remain high.

Flexible Billing & Concierge Services

One aspect of the invention is directed to the direct management of allsuppliers involved as well as to provide a full slate of customizedconcierge services. Some advantages provided by the present inventioninclude the following: provide a valuable high-end service tobuyers/owners of luxury properties; and better management of property toavoid/minimize HOA infringements and issues.

Sample services are selected from the group consisting of:

-   -   Landscape and grounds maintenance    -   House cleaning    -   Pest removal and maintenance programs    -   Critical repair assessment and intervention    -   Pool, hot tub and sauna servicing    -   Snow removal    -   Home security concerns: lighting, alarm systems, and        coordination with professional home-security companies and        associations    -   Homeowner's Association interaction and representation    -   Bill consolidation and account reconciliation

In various embodiments, the homeowner is provided with a set ofsolutions to meet individual needs based upon the frequency and extentof services required. These can range from simple, monthly oversightvisits designed to monitor the vendors chosen, to a complete preventivemaintenance programs with full management of vendors and integratedbilling services. The particular tailored packages of services can bedesigned to provide a specific program to meet a homeowner'spredetermined needs and that are of appropriate desired scale to providetrue value at an affordable price.

In various embodiments of the invention, the capabilities listed beloware made available via a system that employs a computer processor:

-   -   Share information with contacts via Facebook, Linked-In, Twitter    -   Objective: Create stickiness, customer loyalty, premium service        experience    -   Access inspection reports    -   Track/monitor expenses under management and account status    -   Store image inventory of key assets    -   Local weather, news, announcements    -   Additional relevant communications—e.g. homeowner's newsletters,        etc    -   Contact account manager(s)    -   Track status of issues, inquiries    -   TCO (total cost of ownership) forecasting and reporting tool

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary user interface according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an overall system architecture according to oneembodiment.

In one embodiment, the following solution delivery process elements areemployed, with the method including at least five of the followingsteps:

-   -   a. Setting up a real estate property on a system via capturing a        complete image inventory of the structure, grounds, amenities,        furnishings, and high value assets of such property. In a        preferred embodiment, a setup also includes complete logging of        current vendors used for various services and audits those        vendors for price competitiveness and quality performance.    -   b. Configuring solution for ongoing capture and reporting of        events relating to the property. This includes creating a unique        customer relationship management (“CRM”) record along with        detailed information on property, uploads of all image files,        applicable service providers, and ongoing expense categories.        (see FIG. 2 for overview of solution architecture)    -   c. Provisioning a new user account formatted into an online,        user-accessible, self-care portal (see FIG. 3) with a secure,        unique username and password that allows the homeowner to view,        delve into, and interact with the service provider (such as        Aluxio, LLC) on data collected and information processed related        to the owner's vacation home.    -   d. Conducting predetermined, e.g., weekly, daily, etc.,        inspections of the property. Inspections are preferably a strict        structured process to ensure consistency of both oversight        quality and data captured. Inspections are uploaded into system,        subsequently approved by a Field Manager, and then posted for        viewing online by remote homeowners.    -   e. Initiating “Cases” for any issues or requests related to the        subject property. Each case is assigned a unique identifier and        is channeled through a consistent workflow that assures case        management of the highest quality in the most effective time.    -   f. Tracking of all cases and inspections with applicable        information (including images relating to specific        issues/requests) being logged and available online.    -   g. Providing automatic alerts to homeowner at the initiation of        specific workflow steps such as account setup, inspection        complete, case opened, approval required, case closed, etc.        Alerts provide timely updates and drive clients to self-care        portal for more information.    -   h. Measuring ongoing customer satisfaction by prompting for        specific feedback and acquiring standard CSAT (customer        satisfaction on a Likert scale of 1-5) and NPS (Net Promoter        Score on a Likert scale of 1-5) data for ongoing customer        engagement and structuring of service employee incentive        programs.    -   i. Reporting of Vacation Home Costs via the self-care Portal for        homeowner general information, scrutiny, and comparison purposes        versus planned, market-competitive indices.    -   j. Enhanced Modeling and Forecasting of Vacation Home costs        which are used to benchmark service provider competitiveness and        provide forecasts for ongoing management of planned versus        actual costs.    -   k. Creating scale expansion of service delivery model via        standardization of systems and processes such that the model may        be repeatedly setup with internal resources deployed in        subsequent markets, franchised and/or sub-licensed to other        parties for business expansion.    -   l. Implementing data-mining and business intelligence        functionality to further gather and process self-care portal        user data and behavior trends to further identify        product/service up-sell opportunities and aggregate data re-sale        opportunities to target partners.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary user interface according to oneembodiment. More specifically, the embodiment shown is a self-careportal design for new homeowners.

Other aspects of particular embodiments include so-called ServiceProvider Recruitment and Management Process Elements, selected from thefollowing:

-   -   1. Conducting local market analysis to find price-competitive,        superior-performing service providers across a service        provider's (e.g., Aluxio's) targeted service provider categories        including: home security; pest removal; lawn and garden        maintenance; pool and hot tub maintenance; household cleaning        services; general maintenance and repair services; audio-visual        systems; HVAC systems; interior design services; window cleaning        services; tree & shrub trimming services; interior and exterior        painting services; plumbing services; transportation services;        event planning services; internet services; etc. Sources of        information to compile, edit, and evolve prioritized lists of        service providers include public internet ratings, personal        recommendations, client experiences, etc.    -   2. Executing partnership agreements with targeted service        providers that ensures skill competency, adequate insurance        coverage, and provides incentives for both parties to        cross-market and grow each parties' business.    -   3. Assigning selected service providers to targeted accounts and        projects according to general overall ratings and homeowner        unique needs.    -   4. Monitoring performance of service providers against local        industry pricing and norms for performance.    -   5. Implementing standard processes in project initiation,        updates, and completion and ensuring compliance of service        providers with that methodology.    -   6. Assessing service provider performance on each        account/project undertaken for ongoing performance monitoring        and improvement purposes.    -   7. Conducting regular performance audits on service providers to        ensure ongoing consistent performance and compliance with        business relationship principles.    -   8. Ongoing editing and evolution of service provider community        involvement and prioritization as part of the service provider's        (e.g., Aluxio's) ecosystem.

In still other embodiments, the following Channel Marketing ProcessElements are included, such elements including:

-   -   a. Identifying and targeting key channel partners, which service        the needs of the remote luxury homeowner in the targeted market.        Targeted channel partners to include: real estate        brokers/agents; title companies; property and casualty insurance        agents/brokers; luxury home builders; wealth management firms;        homeowners associations; etc.    -   b. Executing partnership agreements with targeted channel        partners that ensure proper positioning of service, customer        satisfaction focus, and provide incentives for both parties to        cross-market and grow each Parties' business    -   c. Instilling a complementary client identification,        qualification, and closing process to maximize effectiveness of        joint marketing efforts to a targeted client base.    -   d. Offering an ongoing channel partners communication area as        part of the self-care portal that facilitates ongoing        communication between channel partners and the clients who have        been converted into the service provider's (e.g., Aluxio's)        clients.    -   e. Measuring, evolving, and optimizing channel relationships and        strategies to increase effectiveness according to statistics        surrounding customer acquisition costs and overall customer        value.

In one embodiment, which includes the above mentioned solution deliveryprocess elements, Channel Marketing Process Elements, and ServiceProvider Recruitment and Management Process Elements, a method isprovided for the storage of customized content in a computer-basedsystem having a client and an application system and with a databasecontaining a plurality of pieces of information, and one or more modulesthat access the database to pull pieces of information from the databasebased on a request from the client and display a user interface to theuser containing the requested information. One or more controllers canbe used to control access by the client to the one or more modules andthe database. In certain embodiments the method comprises storing atemplate for a customized piece of content in the database wherein thecustomized piece of content includes the template and customized data.The customized data for each property owner may be stored in thedatabase; and a customized piece of content can then be generated foreach property owner based on the template and/or customized data,enabling avoidance of storing actual customized content for eachproperty owner. Such data may comprise email messages. Preferably themethod also employs a data gathering unit that gathers a set ofdeployment information about the deployment on the particular computingdevice. An aggregation computer coupled to computing devices can also beused that receives a set of deployment information from the computingdevice or storage unit. The aggregation computer preferablyautomatically provides an update to the deployment on the computingdevice. Selected from the group of a status of the deployment, a set ofinformation about the modules that are part of the deployment, a set ofanonymous usage statistics, a set of non-anonymous usage statistics anda list of a set of elements of the deployment. Each deploymentpreferably includes a customer relationship management (CRM) applicationcustomized to consolidate salient information on properties and therelevant owners/suppliers of those properties—see example in FIG. 4. Theset of elements of the deployment may further comprise a flavor of thedeployment, a set of modules, themes, language packs and extensions ofthe deployment. To address written description and enablement issues,U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,798 to Taylor et al. is incorporated herein by thisreference in its entirety.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary CRM database example. In one embodiment(with reference to FIG. 4), the system is implemented as a softwaresystem that may preferably use open source code, implemented as aplurality of lines of computer code that may be executed by a processorof a computer system, such as a server computer. The computer code maybe stored in a memory associated with the computer system and the systeminterfaces with a database. A browser application can be used thataccesses the system over a computer network, such as the Internet, andclient interactions preferably go through a set of one or morecontrollers. The system preferably has one or more modules of a CRMsystem that include: a portal module, a calendar module, an activitiesmodule, a contacts module, an accounts module, a leads module, anopportunities module, a quotes module, a products module, a casesmodule, a bug tracker module, a documents module, an emails module, acampaigns module, a project module, an RSS module, a forecasts module, areports module and a dashboard module. In certain embodiments, more thanone modules provides several functionalities.

In certain embodiments, the user is shown a list of documents availablefor download. The user can also: upload documents, assign publish andexpiration dates, and specify which users can access them; write andsend emails; create Email Templates; save drafts and archive emails;implement and track marketing campaigns; create a prospects list; managetasks related to specific projects; update the information for eachtask; view the latest headlines distributed or syndicated by websites,etc.

A template mechanism may be used to reformat data from the database intoa particular form and may be adjustable according to the user'spreferences. An index controller can be employed that loads the currentuser, verifies authentication and session information, loads thelanguage for the user and produces some of the UI (user interface) shelland then calls the contact module and requests a detailed view for thespecified contact. Thus in one embodiment, a method and apparatus isused for controlling access to an information related to a data accesssystem and a security module that is adapted to modify team membershiprecords to assign a member to a team assigned to a particular data item.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an embodiment of the overall design of a systemand method for providing services to vacation homeowners is shown. Theembodiment of FIG. 5 is a cloud-based system. Thus, the database and thevacation home management system may be hosted in the cloud. This wouldallow users (e.g., customers and inspectors) to access the system fromany device anywhere in the world. In one embodiment, Amazon Web Servicesis used as the host. In other embodiments, any cloud-based service couldbe used.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for a CRM database.In this embodiment the system is implemented as a software system thatmay use proprietary or open source code, implemented as a plurality oflines of computer code that may be executed by a processor of a computersystem, such as a server computer. The computer code may be stored in amemory associated with the computer system, e.g., the user's computingdevice, and the computer system may interface with a database.

The computer code may, in an alternate embodiment, be stored on thedatabase and the user's computing device may access the computer code byconnecting to the database over a network. The network may be theInternet or another network. Thus, the code or program may “run in thecloud” and/or may be a cloud-based application.

In some embodiments, a browser application may be used that accesses thesoftware system over a network, such as the Internet, and clientinteractions may go through a set of one or more controllers. Thesoftware system may have one or more modules of a CRM system thatinclude: a portal module, a calendar module, an activities module, acontacts module, an accounts module, a leads module, an opportunitiesmodule, a quotes module, a products module, a cases module, a bugtracker module, a documents module, an emails module, a campaignsmodule, a project module, an RSS module, a forecasts module, a reportsmodule and a dashboard module. In certain embodiments, more than onemodule provides several functionalities.

FIG. 7 shows one embodiment of a user interface for the vacationhomeowner service system. More specifically, the embodiment shown is aself-care portal design for new homeowners.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show two embodiments of the system running on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or other hand-held computing device. Theseembodiments of the service solution show the inspector's user interfacefor the system and show the software client running running on thetablet or smart phone, which make it very easy for inspectors to enterdata wherever they are located. These embodiments also allow for moreinteractivity with the system. Thus, an inspector may run the client ona tablet to allow him to enter data wherever he inspecting. An inspectormay input data into the system and database while his is on site ratherthan writing down notes and inputting data when he returns to hisoffice. The on-site interaction with the system will reduce the time aninspector must spend inputting data and will improve accuracy becausethe inspector will not be required to recall information from memorywhen he is inputting the data into the system back at his office afterhe has left the job site. Additionally, an inspector will see all of theitems requiring inspection on his smart phone or tablet; therefore, hewill likely remember to inspect all items on the list. When theinspector inputs data as he is inspecting, he will likely remember toinspect all required items. This may save the inspector time because hecan input all of the data at once and will be less likely to forget anitem, which would otherwise require he return to the vacation home andinspect the forgotten item. Inputting information while on-site willalso improve accuracy of the information because less will be forgottenor confused with another property.

The user interface of the system may also allow for integration withsocial media and/or social networking. The system may also have enhancedcost modeling and prediction tools. In additional or alternativeembodiments, the system may have enhanced mobile inspection and customerservice integration. In one embodiment, the mobile platform system mayallow payment and other secure transactions to occur on the user's smartphone or other hand-held device.

FIG. 9 shows one embodiment of a smart phone or hand-held device userinterface for a vacation homeowner service system. More specifically,the embodiment shown is for inspectors to input data while they are onsite. In one embodiment, the user interface on the tablet or smart phoneor other hand-held device may look very similar to the user interface ona laptop or desktop. Alternatively, the cloud-based tablet interface maylook similar to the web-based portal.

For FIGS. 9-11, embodiments of a system with mobile access andintegration is shown. The system with mobile access allows consumers toaccess the services and system via smartphones, tablets, e-readers,laptops, and Ultrabook™ devices. For example, the system may run on iOS,Android, Windows Mobile, and Blackberry operating systems. In someembodiments, the system is downloadable as an App from publicapplication stores. The mobile system may allow consumers completeaccess to the CRM data and applicable property information. Furhter, themobile system may allow consumers to interact with Aluxio customerservice and inspectors; engage in dynamic messaging and receive alerts,request and track services, schedule services, inspections, andconcierge hours; provide feedback on services and overall customersatisfaction; and shop for auxiliary services and products for vacationhome. The cloud-based systems shown in FIGS. 9-11 are more efficient,convenient, and spontaneous that web-browser based systems designed torun on desktops and laptop computers.

In various embodiments, the system of the present disclosure may allowAluxio inspectors, agents, and service providers to access a CRMdatabase and corresponding workflows via a customized tablet (or othermobile device) solution. This solution may allow for a dedicated clientto access and/or update CRM records, an automated home inspectionprocess with rich media integration, integration with GPS andlocation-based data, enhanced messaging for routing and employee and/orworkflow scheduling and tracking, a labor time clock, efficiencyreporting and management; dynamic messaging with service providers,homeowners, and Aluxio administrative staff, case management workflow,and mobile point-of-sale integration for billing clients for auxiliaryproducts and services.

In some embodiments, an external database and service integration may beprovided with the vacation homeowner system. A home automation systemmay also be integrated into the vacation homeowner system to allow thehomeowner to control his home automation system through the vacationhomeowner system. Remote monitoring of the vacation home infrastructureand systems may also be provided. Additionally, one embodiment of thevacation homeowner system may provide for diagnostics, trouble shooting,remote setup and configuration, and preventative maintenance.

Other embodiments may include access to external service providers andequipment supplier databases (e.g., Angie's List, Consumer Reports, HomeAdvisor, Savant, Crestron, Control 4, etc.). Therefore a customer couldprovide and find/review other service provider evaluations and shop forservice providers. The system may also provide home equipment andinfrastructure performance measurements and preventative maintenance,enhanced service and support, and customer satisfaction reporting andvalidation.

FIG. 10 shows one embodiment of a tablet, e-reader, laptop, orUltrabook™ device user interface for a vacation homeowner servicesystem. More specifically, the embodiment shown is for a vacationhomeowner to interact with the software system. Thus, the homeowner canaccess data and information directly through the hand-held device userinterface. In some embodiments, the user interface is for a cloud-basedvacation home management system. Other embodiments include a system orsoftware that runs directly on the hand-held computing device. Similarto some embodiments associated with FIGS. 8 and 9, FIGS. 10 and 11 showembodiments that allow a user to interact with the system through asoftware client running on the device. The embodiments of FIGS. 10 and11 allow the homeowner to interact with the system on the homeowner'smobile device or other computing device. These embodiments allow formore interactivity with the software and allow the homeowner to accessthe software system from anywhere he desires. Thus, a homeowner may makea service request, see information about her home, or look at pricinginformation all from her smart phone or other hand-held device and fromany location.

FIG. 11 shows a second embodiment of a smart phone or hand-held deviceuser interface for a vacation homeowner service system. Morespecifically, the embodiment shown is for vacation homeowners runningthe software client on their smart phones.

One embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for providingpersonalized, high-quality oversight of a luxury home property,comprising providing a mobile platform for real estate property; settingup a real estate property on a computer system by capturing, using acomputer processor an image inventory of the structure, grounds,amenities, furnishings, and high value assets of a luxury home property,said step of setting up including at least one of a logging of currentvendors used for various services; and an auditing of vendors for pricecompetitiveness and quality performance; creating a record related tothe property that includes uploads of image files, applicable serviceproviders, and ongoing expense categories; providing an online,user-accessible, portal with a secure username and password that allowsan owner of the property to interact with a service provider based oninformation processed related to the property; conducting predeterminedinspections of the property, wherein said inspections are performed inconformance with a structured process that includes evaluations of therecord in a manner that ensures consistency of oversight quality anddata captured and that results in a written inspection report beinggenerated; uploading said inspection report into the system; postingsaid inspection report for viewing online by the property owner;assigning each property a unique identifier; providing updates thatemploy said identifier; directing the property owner to the portal foradditional information; measuring ongoing customer satisfaction byprompting for specific feedback and acquiring at least one of: astandard customer satisfaction on a Likert scale of 1-5; and a netpromoter score on a Likert scale of 1-5; and reporting costs via theportal using market-competitive indices.

One embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for providingpersonalized, high-quality oversight of a luxury home property,comprising providing a mobile platform for real estate property; settingup a real estate property on a computer system by capturing, using acomputer processor an image inventory of the structure, grounds,amenities, furnishings, and high value assets of a luxury home property,said step of setting up including at least one of a logging of currentvendors used for various services; and an auditing of vendors for pricecompetitiveness and quality performance; creating a record related tothe property that includes uploads of image files, applicable serviceproviders, and ongoing expense categories; providing an online,user-accessible, portal with a secure username and password that allowsan owner of the property to interact with a service provider based oninformation processed related to the property; conducting predeterminedinspections of the property, wherein said inspections are performed inconformance with a structured process that includes evaluations of therecord in a manner that ensures consistency of oversight quality anddata captured and that results in a written inspection report beinggenerated; uploading said inspection report into the system; postingsaid inspection report for viewing online by the property owner;assigning each property a unique identifier; tracking said inspectionreport using said unique identifier; providing updates that employ saididentifier; directing the property owner to the portal for additionalinformation; measuring ongoing customer satisfaction by prompting forspecific feedback and acquiring at least one of: a standard customersatisfaction on a Likert scale of 1-5; and a net promoter score on aLikert scale of 1-5; reporting costs via the portal usingmarket-competitive indices; providing at least one automatic alert tothe property owner at the initiation of one of a specific workflow stepselected from the group consisting of: account setup, inspectioncompleted, case opened, approval required, and case closed; providingforecasts for ongoing management of at least one of planned and actualcosts; creating a scale expansion of a service delivery model; andimplementing a data-mining functionality to process user data andbehavior trends.

These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of theinvention(s) contained herein. The above-described embodiments,objectives, and configurations are neither complete nor exhaustive. TheSummary of the Invention is neither intended nor should it be construedas being representative of the full extent and scope of the presentdisclosure. Moreover, references made herein to “the present invention”or aspects thereof should be understood to mean certain embodiments ofthe present disclosure and should not necessarily be construed aslimiting all embodiments to a particular description. The presentdisclosure is set forth in various levels of detail in the Summary ofthe Invention as well as in the attached drawings and no limitation asto the scope of the present disclosure is intended by either theinclusion or non-inclusion of elements, components, etc. in this Summaryof the Invention. Additional aspects of the present disclosure willbecome more readily apparent from the drawings.

The above-described benefits, embodiments, and/or characterizations arenot necessarily complete or exhaustive, and in particular, as to thepatentable subject matter disclosed herein. Other benefits, embodiments,and/or characterizations of the present disclosure are possibleutilizing, alone or in combination, as set forth above and/or describedin the accompanying figures and/or in the description herein below.Further details and other features will become apparent after review ofthe accompanying drawing figures.

Moreover, though the present disclosure has included description of oneor more embodiments and certain variations and modifications, othervariations and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure,e.g. the use of a certain component described above alone or inconjunction with other components may comprise a system, while in otheraspects the system may be the combination of all of the componentsdescribed herein, and in different order than that employed for thepurpose of communicating the novel aspects of the present disclosure.Other variations and modifications may be within the skill and knowledgeof those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. Thismethod of disclosure is intended to obtain rights which includealternative embodiments to the extent permitted, including alternate,interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or stepsto those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/orequivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein,and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subjectmatter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for providing personalized, high-qualityoversight of a luxury home property, comprising: a) providing a mobileplatform for real estate property; b) setting up a real estate propertyon a computer system by capturing, using a computer processor an imageinventory of the structure, grounds, amenities, furnishings, and highvalue assets of a luxury home property, said step of setting upincluding at least one of a logging of current vendors used for variousservices; and an auditing of vendors for price competitiveness andquality performance; d) creating a record related to the property thatincludes uploads of image files, applicable service providers, andongoing expense categories; e) providing an online, user-accessible,portal with a secure username and password that allows an owner of theproperty to interact with a service provider based on informationprocessed related to the property; f) conducting predeterminedinspections of the property, wherein said inspections are performed inconformance with a structured process that includes evaluations of therecord in a manner that ensures consistency of oversight quality anddata captured and that results in a written inspection report beinggenerated; g) uploading said inspection report into the system; h)posting said inspection report for viewing online by the property owner;i) assigning each property a unique identifier; j) providing updatesthat employ said identifier; k) directing the property owner to theportal for additional information; l) measuring ongoing customersatisfaction by prompting for specific feedback and acquiring at leastone of: a standard customer satisfaction on a Likert scale of 1-5; and anet promoter score on a Likert scale of 1-5; and m) reporting costs viathe portal using market-competitive indices.
 2. The method as set forthin claim 1, further comprising, conducting a local market analysis tofind price-competitive, superior-performing service providers across atargeted service provider category selected from the group consistingof: home security; pest control and removal; lawn and gardenmaintenance; pool and hot tub maintenance; household cleaning services;general maintenance and repair services; audio-visual systems; HVACsystems; interior design services; window cleaning services; tree &shrub trimming services; interior and exterior painting services;plumbing services; transportation services; event planning services;garage door installation, repair, and servicing; and internet service.3. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising compiling aprioritized list of service providers that include public internetratings, personal recommendations, and client experiences.
 4. The methodas set forth in claim 1, further comprising executing partnershipagreements with targeted service providers having a predetermined levelof skill and insurance coverage.
 5. The method as set forth in claim 1,further comprising monitoring performance of service providers againstindustry pricing and norms for performance.
 6. The method as set forthin claim 1, further comprising implementing a standard process forproject initiation, updates, and completion.
 7. The method as set forthin claim 1, further comprising assessing service provider performance oneach account.
 8. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprisingconducting regular performance audits on service providers.
 9. Themethod as set forth in claim 1, further comprising identifying a keychannel partner that service the needs of a remote luxury homeowner in atargeted market, said key channel partner selected from the groupconsisting of: a real estate broker; a title company; a property andcasualty insurance broker; a luxury home builder; a wealth managementfirm; and a homeowner's associations.
 10. The method as set forth inclaim 1, further comprising executing a partnership agreement with thekey channel partner.
 11. The method as set forth in claim 1, furthercomprising providing a client identification, qualification, and closingprocess to maximize effectiveness of joint marketing efforts to atargeted client base.
 12. The method as set forth in claim 1, furthercomprising offering an ongoing channel partners communication area aspart of the portal to facilitate communication between the key channelpartner and the property owner.
 13. The method as set forth in claim 1,further comprising tracking said inspection report using said uniqueidentifier.
 14. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprisingproviding at least one automatic alert to the property owner at theinitiation of one of a specific workflow step selected from the groupconsisting of: account setup, inspection completed, case opened,approval required, and case closed.
 15. The method as set forth in claim1, further comprising providing forecasts for ongoing management of atleast one of planned and actual costs.
 16. The method as set forth inclaim 1, further comprising creating a scale expansion of a servicedelivery model.
 17. The method as set forth in claim 1, furthercomprising implementing a data-mining functionality to process user dataand behavior trends.